Floating
by Moody-Muse
Summary: This is the sequel to Running. A story exploring just what goes on in the skiff while our unlikely pack awaits rescue and restoration to their home on Serenity. Be prepared for all the insanity that can possibly ensue with limited space and killers.
1. Chapter 1

**Oh, bloody hell. This has been long in the works. Can you say overdue? How about withdrawal? Ugh. I have missed this series! Not to mention all the things coming with the series...namely-all you readers out there! **

**So...let's just get this out of the way: Hi! And I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting!**

**After battling my computer to stop eating files, then overcoming the obstacle of explaining my plans to our star couple before they let me play some more-wow. And after they gave express permission for me to continue playing...I couldn't write. Not just on this, but on anything. Life has bee riding me like a naughty little minx in leather shackles and it's been more pain than pleasure. As I sit here knowing my life still hangs in a suspended state of familial drama and school and production responsibilities, I know my only place to turn to for any sense of comfort is the waiting and open arms of readers and my muses. **

**Prodigal Daughter has returned, coffee in hand, pen poised as I focus on the most important thing:  
Writing for my pleasure, and yours.**

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**Skiff Time: Arrival**

Riddick plots the course and sets auto as he turns and heads toward River.

As he walks Jack eyes him from her place beside Kaylee, "Lot of questions whoever we run in to. Could even be a merc ship. So what the hell do we tell them about you?"

Riddick smirks as he drops by River, ignoring Zoe and Shazza beside him.

"Tell 'em Riddick's dead. He died somewhere on that planet."

River smiles weakly and whispers, "But he can live again."

"Only if you can keep up in the games wa hua."

River giggles, "We'll give you a run for all your worth."

The skiff floats through the sky, fallen stars replaced in the black.

* * *

**Skiff Time: Five Minutes**

Riddick settles into the pilot seat and adjusts the power settings, arranging the course and settings for maximum distance. He inhales a deep breath of the skiff air, hints of rain still clinging to the filters as the scents of each individual seeps around. A muscle twitches in his jaw as he catches the heavy scent of River's blood.

* * *

River twitches as she takes a rough, ragged breath and blinks with heavy lidded eyes. She glances at the faces of those surrounding her, Jack huddles by her shoulders as Zoe and Kaylee kneel to her sides. She pouts slightly as pain shoots through her body and the slick wetness of blood suddenly feels nauseating. She lets her beast probe for Riddick, missing his presence by her as her eyes close.

* * *

Jack squints as she watches River's eyes fall closed. She waits for them to open-a breath in, a breath out, a breath in, a breath out, a breath in. She swallows hard and glances nervously to see Zoe and Kaylee logging wounds. "River?" Jack whispers plaintively, eyes seeking help from Zoe or Kaylee. Eyes flying to Shazza and Riddick as she nearly screams, "River!"

Zoe snaps her head up from looking at the gashed leg, eyes focusing on the empty face of her friend. Kaylee mewls in protest as she grabs River's hand and squeezes, pushing at her thigh and hoping for any reaction. In worry, Shazza falls to her knees behind Jack, slapping River's cheek as she murmurs, "Riv, lass, wake up. Open your eyes and beat the bloody hell out of me for slapping you. Come on Riv, no bowing out now."

* * *

Riddick squeezes the arms of the pilots seat tightly, teeth grinding together as he stands with slow purpose. He turns in a frighteningly calm pivot and strides in two long steps to the huddled group. Without a sound he shoulders between the others to get at River. He looks her over, quickly assessing. Without hesitation he places his hands around her waist, half pulling, half pushing her to lie flat. Her head thuds slightly from the transition of wall to floor, yet her eyes do not open nor do they flutter.

"Hey! Don't hurt her you quang bao hou zi de xiong meng de kuang ren!" Jack screeches the words in slight hysterics as she tenses to lung at him, desperate to protect the woman who was her mu hou.

Riddick registers the way her cursing is worse with stress, he also registers her tensing up to pounce. With a voice full of finality he speaks, "Shazza, take Jack up to the front. Tend your wounds if you have any and don't interfere with anything happening back here."

Shazza does as instructed without more than a second of hesitation.

* * *

Riddick looks over his girl as Kaylee and Zoe move back, hovering but giving space to the man who could, would help the woman that was their protector. They knew he would take care of his pet, just as they knew she needed her pet to be the one to heal her.

"Not for me." he murmurs as he leans closer, watching the way her eyes stay still-not even a flicker behind the lids.

With a determined set of his jaw he grips her right hand, bending back her index finger until a sickening pop signals the breaking point. So focused on his task he does not pay heed to the duo at the front whirling from their view of the stars, nor to the pair of women scrambling away. He does not notice them preparing for battle as he grabs her middle finger and deftly bends it back as well, another pop signaling the second injury inflicted by his own hands.

River jolts awake with a pained scream rising in her throat, swallowing it down as her eyes meet Riddick's. She flicks her eyes behind him and Riddick slowly glances over his shoulder to see himself at the wrong end of two guns, a shiv, a metal pole and a wrench.

River speaks with a strained voice, calm still clinging to the hoarse notes of her melodic voice. "Easy. Turn away. Trust him. We are in his care and he is doing right."

Zoe pushes Jack into the copilot's chair and Kaylee into the pilot's chair, ushering Shazza to sit in the bench along the wall. She makes to step toward River and Riddick but stops at River's look. She sits next to Shazza and pointedly looks away.

Gently as he can manage Riddick settles her hand to the floor, rumbling steadily, "I gotta remove the claw. Then I'll tie off the superficial wounds and burn the others with a hot shiv. I just had to wake you with a little pain wa hua. No matter how tempting you can not go under again. Dong ma?"

River closes her eyes and opens her mind completely, letting her beast reach out to his.

'_Broke our finger. Have to set it back.'_

'_I'll be quick.'_

Riddick takes her hand in his and grips her broken index finger first. Snapping forward he moves the her middles finger and repeats, then lays her arm to her side. River focuses on not wincing.

'_If I hurt you, scream.'_

River barks a laugh and opens her eyes, staring shining eyes at him.

'_Won't scream. Won't make a sound. Continue.'_

Riddick smiles and nods, turning to glance at Kaylee. "Put the wrench down and come here."

'_Where'd she get a wrench?'_

'_Toolbox built into the wall.'_

River chuckles into his mind and he smirks slightly as Kaylee nearly runs to his side. She looks worriedly at River and tears well in her eyes.

'_Tell her we are fine.'_

"Little Kaylee she's fine. And if she ain't I'll get her there. I need you to do something for me."

Kaylee nods, large wet eyes staring at him, trusting him with her alpha.

"Take this shiv, get the blade as hot as you can. Try the front panel by the controls."

Kaylee takes the shiv with shaking hands and looks between it and River, "What do ya need it hot for?" her voice is trembling and she works to swallow.

"Bubbles, I'll take care of her."

Kaylee nods with a watery smile beginning to pull her frown up.

* * *

"It's gonna hurt baby girl."

River nods and tries to speak, only able to make a grunting sound.

'_We shall be sure to pay you back later. We refuse to scare our pack any more. Will stay silent. Just do it.'_

Riddick watches Kaylee return to looking out to space from the pilot's chair. He sees Jack hesitantly slide from the copilot's seat and walk to settle in Kaylee's lap. He waits until all four women are watching the passing stars and then sets to work.

Riddick angles the shiv carefully over River's leg. Zoe glances over her shoulder before looking straight ahead again with a clenched jaw. She knows a lesser man would shake. Or let their woman suffer. No, Riddick knows he must hurt his woman in order to help her.

Riddick feels his hellhound in him wrapping around River's black panther. He digs the shiv in and pops the claw out in one smooth swipe. He hears the sharp edges of the claw sliding from her tender, bleeding flesh and a fierce need to protect her roils within him. A little late, in his opinion.

* * *

'_Don't tie the superficial. Burn us.'_

Riddick tenses and looks at her face, drawn taunt in pain and paler than ever.

"I won't burn you if I don't have to."

River huffs a breath and clenches her jaw. _'Cleanse with the flame.'_

'_Prefer you dirty myself.'_

'_Must live with us kind of dirty. Hot metal not flame. Partial cleanse with the burn.'_

Riddick smirks slightly and leans over her further. He rips a shred from her dress and twists it, laying a hand on her forehead he whispers, "Open and bite down." His eyes narrow at the slight upturn to the corners of her lips. "On the cloth." he speaks in dry humor.

'_Only thought we would nip at you.'_

'_Yeah, I just don't want you to shatter your teeth my partially dirty masochist beast of a woman.'_

'_What have we said about ownership?'_

'_What have I said in response?'_

'_Give us the shiv, we have to stop your bleeding.'_

'_Not bleeding anymore baby girl.'_

'_We can fix that or overlook it. Either way.'_

Riddick smiles and watches River bite harder on the cloth. He hears some ripping. Carefully he goes over her body, pressing the shiv to anything that bleeds and cauterizing her wounds.

River is silent the whole time.

Riddick finishes and tosses the shiv to lie on the other side of the skiff. He reaches for River and pulls her into his arms. Carefully, almost tenderly, he carries her and lays her on the benches on the left wall. He removes the cloth and River smiles at him.

"Not for you. Will not die for you." Riddick straightens and looks down at her, face stone as he wonders why everything in him is yelling he would die for her, do anything for her. Why he wants her to feel the same. He knows her words are tumbling out as she slips between delirious and oblivious. "For you. Will live for you." Riddick reaches out and catches her flailing hand as she reaches for him, she squeezes his hand gently before closing her eyes and relaxing into sleep.

Riddick watches her breathing even out, watches her face relax. He hears her black panther purring in rest. His mind whirls with an overload of things, most everything realted to the little woman that was his-his pet, his master. "Yu shi bin ni, wa hua." He relaxes his tense frame and raises his free hand-one still busy cradling River's left hand-to push a strand of hair from her face. "I'm with you."

At the front of the skiff the four women exchange smiles of relief for their alpha's recovery and of glee at the final matching of their alpha to someone who could keep up with her dances.


	2. Chapter 2

**Review Responses:**

**White-Dragon-of-Hope – You are reading my mind! I'm glad you enjoy, watch out for the savory scenes of pack-goodness to come!**

**Silver Dragon c – Thanks! Sorry I made you wait so long, I'm trying to nail down that stupid time management skill people keep telling me about.**

**Forestreject – Aw, sorry! Glad I drew you into the moment of horror-it was a beast to write! This time around it seems as if Riddick will get his gore in the end. Hm.**

** – YAY! Thanks, it better have been with as long as my muses had me working on it! **

**Fallenstacieb – River and Riddick are definitely my favorite crossover couple, no contest. I'm glad you enjoy my story, I'll try to stay back this time, I miss writing!**

**ArtLightLove – Whoa, whoa, whoa! No reading my mind, only River can do that! Already I can tell the intro scenes of our lovely Firefly family to this new pack of River's shall be…interesting to say the very least. I'd tell you which direction I was going…but then I'd have to kill you, and where's the fun in that? I'm glad to know you're sticking around, sorry it took forever for the second part. Thank you so much for the advice, enjoy the story!**

**Rachet – Thanks! **

**Raven – Yes. Definitely doing tons more. I'm addicted. **

**HellgirlAngel – Thanks a lot!

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**So, lovely readers o' mine. How are you all? **

**It's been too long! Over two months since I first posted this great story…you cannot imagine all the ideas constantly swirling in my head for where to go with this story! And even the next installment! Whew! **

**I'm trying to regulate my schedule of writing but it seems I can only ever find the time to sit and write every few months, which is horrible! It's slowly killing me…which is why I'm back, all zombie-fied to write some chapters and come back to life!

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**Skiff Time: Two Hours**

Riddick clenches his jaw as River's black panther thrashes in sleep. The woman in her merely clenches her jaw in sleep, seemingly used to the need for silence.

Riddick glances to the group of woman in the back of the skiff, all cuddled together and in a state of half awareness.

He moves slowly closer to his pet, conscious of the effect he'll have on his pack if he alerts them. He nearly freezes as he realizes the way his thoughts are going…his pack?

'_You claim her, you claim them. It is what must be. Don't act too surprised, you've known you would claim your place as their alpha since you met her.'_

Riddick growls in his head at the whispers of his hellhound.

River twitches in her sleep, he is refocused as he reaches for her good hand. He clenches his jaw as he tries to undo her tightly clenched fist, her nails digging in to her palm to draw rivulets of blood to the surface.

'_Wa hua, I'm here. Relax, hellhound won't let no one hurt you.'_

River's expression crosses from slightly tensed to terrified and Riddick scoots closer still, laying his forehead gently to her shoulder as he focuses his hellhound. He opens the connection their beasts share and images assault his mind, thoughts, River's internal screaming. He shifts through her mind, becoming submerged until he finds her subconscious dream world, he looks over her nightmares and feels his whole frame tense.

'_Not real. They're not here. Come back to me wa hua. Step away from those dreams. Follow me, let me show you my dreams.'_

River whimpers in her mind, the screaming stops as she tries to pull herself free from the blue hands, from images of death and experiments. She tries to extricate herself from visions of the raptors killing her pack, from images of Serenity being haled by Alliance and turned into mush by the newest blue hand recruits. In her dreams, Operatives destroy her home, in her nightmares everyone is killed and she must watch.

'_They can't kill me River. And I won't let them kill our girls. If you think I'll let anyone get you away from me, you've lost the little sanity you've managed to find.'_

Riddick clenches his jaw as he tries to summon River away from her nightmares. His hellhound pulls her black panther closer to him, projecting images that are nothing of the hell she is in now.

'_Look how happy they are.'_ he whispers.

River's black panther stares at the sight of her girls together on the shores of a rim world. Riddick shows her the whole view, her beloved Serenity landed not too far away and the missing stars from their constellation walking to meet their women. She watches Riddick paint the picture of her pack together, watches him show them together, settled together under a shady oak tree as they watch over their pack.

'_You have accepted them.' _ the black panther's voice drips with tenderness and River's face relaxes, her hand coming unclenched to turn into Riddick's.

'_Don't act like you didn't know I would.'_ Though he growls it, the words are playful.

'_We hoped. Will the Riddick stay?'_

'_Couldn't leave if I tried. Couldn't leave if you tried to make me. You had better realize wa hua, when I say you're mine I mean it. No way I can let you go now-no way I can let our girls go either.'_

River's black panther purrs at his words and Riddick leans his head to nuzzle her neck, "Sleep peaceful with me. Let me show you my dreams."


	3. Chapter 3

**Another update! This one is sad. Be warned.**

**Review Replies:**

**White-Dragon-of-Hope - Next chapter! Yay! Hope you enjoy!**

**Silver Dragon c - Haha, thanks. **

**Annie - Thank you! Sorry about the name disappearing, I forgot about that. **

**Without further ado...  
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**Skiff Time: Eight Hours**

"No!" the scream echoes through the small skiff and jolts everyone awake.

Without consciously deciding, River is on her feet and striding toward her pack. Behind her, Riddick follows, body tensed to fight for his pack.

Kaylee cradles Jack close as she sobs and Zoe and Shazza try to comfort their little cub.

"Shh, what is it jiao nu? Qi, tell us your fears."

Jack shivers and her cheeks are wet as her dilated eyes meet River's. "Tian sha de e mo."

Riddick smirks ever so slightly at her words as he drops to his knee and reaches out a large hand to lay on her balled fists. "Nu er, you didn't scream like that when we were surrounded by those 'goddamn monsters' so tell us the truth."

Jack worries her lips between her teeth, internally warring with want to tell her pack the truth, to confess to those who see her as their daughter or to hold it in and keep her shame to herself.

River clenches her jaw as she hears whispers of Jack's thoughts. "Jack, there is no shame." Jack freezes and turns her wide eyed gaze on River, she had forgotten that River knew. "We are trying to stay out of your mind as much as possible. But please, do not call anything of it your shame."

Jack sniffles as she lowers her gaze and cuddles farther in to Kaylee.

"I had a nightmare. About this girl I knew, Audrey."

River tilts her head at Jack, knowing she needs to tell her story as narrator instead of character.

"Audrey lived on a rim world in a little town with no official name. Her parents were real poor and the town was hit by slavers a lot. Audrey got traded out to the slavers so that they'd spare the rest of her siblings. She was oldest, it was fair."

Kaylee tightens her hold on Jack and feels tears welling in her eyes. Zoe stares at her balled up fists, she knows Audrey is Jack and the anger and bile rising within her are hard to control. Shazza watches Jack carefully, putting the pieces together. Riddick keeps his hand on Jack's fists as his other holds to River's.

"Ya see, the slavers took her on to their ship. She was twelve. They kept her to clean up their mess for a few moths, then they sold her. To a man who liked to hurt and liked to keep his slaves as toys."

River slowly reaches into Jack's mind, she moves through like a mist, coating the bad memories in a thin barrier and pulling all her pain into a corner.

"The man liked to trade her out when he lost poker games or wanted to empty his tab at the local bar. Audrey had grown up some, she'd been his toy for three years. And then she wound up pregnant."

Tears glisten on Jack and Kaylee's cheeks and Riddick clenches his jaw, feeling Jack's little fists shaking under his touch.

"The man didn't like Audrey being pregnant. So he beat her. His friends beat her. She was their punching bag, her stomach was their target. At twenty two weeks she miscarried. She was so angry. It didn't matter that the child was to be born as a product of rape-it was a part of her that she already loved. Audrey went insane."

River slips layer after layer of thin protection over the badness eating away at Jack's sanity, she places it in a room with the pain.

"Audrey grabbed a metal rod that the man had used to tend fires and brand slaves. She killed him. And then she killed anyone in the house who had hurt her or let him hurt her. Then Audrey died."

River swallows the burning rage and meets Jack's eyes. Jack whispers in a hoarse voice, "And Jack was born. And Jack got on the HG after searching a week for somewhere to stow away."

Riddick spoke through clenched teeth, "Jack, I swear-no one will touch you against your will ever again. And if we ever come across some hun dan who tries or who has in the past, he won't live long enough to beg for mercy."

River pulls the final covers over Jack's pain and seals it into the new room in Jack's mind, a room with a door and no lock so she can keep it open when she needs to explore herself.

"Maybe now that you've told us you won't have any more nightmares." Shazza whispers.

Jack nods and sniffles, smiling to her pack.

River whispers softly, "You still pain over the miscarriage. Physically. We will get you to a doctor soon." She swallows and her gaze bores into Jack's "Jiao nu, there is no shame in this for you. Dong ma?"

Jack nods and Kaylee pulls her tighter to her, resolve in the set of her jaw that she'll stand with the rest of her pack to see anyone who tries to hurt their cub dead.


	4. Chapter 4

**Review Responses: **

**Annie – Yeah, I feel bad for making Jack have such a horrid past but River's ain't all peachy keen and Riddick's is a fair bit of mess. So Jack gets to fit in with her alphas! I have no idea why your name loves hide and seek so much, but I'm thankful that this one shows! **

**White-Dragon-of-Hope – She is their cub, their little baby. I'd hate to see anyone try to mess with her with any one of them around! I'm planning to get to a reunion…eventually.

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**So! First off-I need some advice! I'm not sure how long to have this story go on. The jump from Pitch Black to Dark Fury (Not Dark Athena, that's different, sorry.) has Jack going from bald to having some hair. I believe the average is hair growing at an inch a month and it would appear that they are on the skiff two months. BUT! It may also be that the animators wanted Jack to look distinctly female and all that good stuff. So anyone who wants to throw out a time-line for me it'd be much appreciated. **

**Rambling…sorry. Anywho, next update! This little ditty came to me in the middle of a parking lot and I scribbled lots of it on the back of a receipt. It didn't seem like it would fit well at first but I've plans to tie it in later. Cross your fingers with hopes I'll remember what I'm planning.

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**Skiff Time: 13.2 Hours**

Kaylee shifts uncomfortably as she feels her stomach start to growl. She brings her arms up to lie on her abdomen, feeling a slight heat in her cheeks.

"I'm hungry!" Jack exclaims, eyes moving quickly away from Kaylee to stare at her alphas.

At the words, the group of survivors realizes the claws of hunger digging into their empty stomachs. River frowns slightly, feeling a wave of hunger being almost immediately chased by a wave of nausea, the want of sustenance warring with the feeling she may heave any minute.

"Grab the packs, we'll have somethin' in there to keep us going till we get found." Zoe speaks carefully, eyes fized on River as the younger woman lays a hand to curl over her stomach.

River sits up from her position lying down on the benches built into the walls by the pilot seat. She looks over her pack and focuses intently on Shazza.

As Jack and Kaylee go through the packs Zoe watches River watch Shazza. Riddick sits in the pilot seat looking between all of them.

Shazza sits oblivious, hands planted on either side of her body as she lounges on the metal grate floor. She feels rolling waves of nausea hit at the mere suggestion of food.

A wrenching pain fills River as she identifies the source of sickness coming from Shazza.

"The start of a flutter." As she barely even breathes the words her eyes go to Jack.

River knows Shazza is in the early stages still, abnormally feeling the wave of sickness at an early on-set of pregnancy symptoms. As she also knows that even mentioning that Shazza is fluttering with life will cause undo pain to her cub.

'_Keep the secret wa hua.'_ Riddick pushes the thought to her black panther and River looks over at him, nodding slightly.

'_Cover. Zoe saw.'_

River pulls a face and winces, hand still over her abdomen. "We lost blood at a steady rate. The partaking of sustenance will combat the nausea felt due to low circulatory supplies."

Zoe quirks an eyebrow and tries to work it all out. The nausea, the protective hand to her stomach. River looking so sadly at Jack and then so intently at Riddick. The two claimed each other and doubtless the two had slipped away with each other a fair few times while they were stranded. Had they done more than fight? Had they set to sexing? And with everything River had been put through, was she subject to developing faster in her condition? Or were her abilities allowing her to feel the new growth and react? In Zoe's mind, there was no other conclusion but to say River was pregnant with Riddick's baby.

River felt her eyes widen slightly as she kept them fixed on her lap. She swallowed hard, discreetly casting a worried glance to Riddick.

'_The warrior woman knows a fetus is in creation. She believes the baby shall be product of us, black panther and hellhound.'_

Riddick is so still River wonders if maybe she should send poke about in his mind to make sure he is not going into some odd frozen state.

'_Tell her-discreetly-that Jack don't need to hear nothing of flutters and that the news of a kid stays between you and her. She can believe it's ours so long as she keeps word away from Jack. Easier that way, Shazza doesn't know.'_

River lifts her head confidently and smirks to Zoe, eyes beckoning her over. Zoe stands slowly and wanders over, casting a wary glance to Riddick. He in turn stands and walks over to Kaylee and Jack, tuning in to the discussion on their provisions.

"We would like to say that you are keen in observing. But do not mention to anyone, especially our cub. Only you shall be allowed to know, do not tell the rest of the pack."

Zoe nods once and poses a silent question, her expression all that River needs to see to know.

"The change is going to be noticed and an interesting conversation will take place that no one else will hear."

Zoe nods again and reaches out to help River stand, ready to carefully tend the mother-to-be.

"Go to the pack, we are sleepy and feel sick. Will stay here please."

Zoe wavers, deciding if possible discovery is worth arguing-the baby needs to develop, River needs to heal and some kind of food is needed to do so. On the other hand River is nauseous and so any food given to her may wind up on the grating and then Riddick might piece together the situation.

River nods her head towards the pack and wisely Zoe walks on. Only to have Riddick turn to River and bring her one of the survival pills and a small pack of mixed vitamins with dried protein mush flakes.

"We got two packs full of things. Packets and then pills. We got a supply that could last a fair time and the water jugs are full and sealed next to the toolbox. Take them wa hua."

River purses her lips together, a silent showing that she won't comply. She must be conscious of reserving the supplies and her stomach is still doing turns.

"It wasn't a request River. Take them or I will make you." The protective edge in Riddick's voice makes River smile and she glances at her pack to see many amused faces.

"You have to heal. Take the gorram go se before I-" River cuts him off, reaching out her hand and waiting for him to plop the items into her palm.

Riddick smirks and hands them over, triumph in the way he strides to the pilot chair and then watches his girl to make sure she consumes the needed sustenance.


End file.
